A Winter Wedding
by Newgirl78
Summary: The gang heads back to Chicago for Jamie's wedding. **Rating has been changed to M** I added a chapter in the middle that just didn't fit right where I was planning to put it later on in the story.
1. Chapter 1

Nick came rushing through the front door of the loft, headed towards Jess' room. "Jess, I've missed this flight 5 years in a row, my mother will kill me if I miss it again for a wedding". He stopped at her door as he saw her nervously stuffing one last present in her suitcase and zipping it up.

He gave a quick laugh,"what are you doing?"

She looked a little flustered as she pulled the suitcase off the bed onto the floor. "I just. I don't want to forget anything."

Nick walked over to her and grabbed her shoulders, giving them a little rub. "Jess, you've already met my family. Why are you so nervous?"

She looked up into his eyes, wondering how he could know her so well. "I don't know Nick, this time it's just different". He smiled and gave her a quick kiss.

"Just be yourself, it's going to be FINE. They ARE Millers". They laughed as Nick took her hand and grabbed her suitcase in the other. As they were walking out of the apartment, Jess started to laugh.

"Who plans their wedding for Christmas Eve, anyway?"

Nick pulled the door shut behind them and they headed for the elevator. "You really think my brother could remember his anniversary on anything other than a major holiday?"

They rode the elevator to the ground floor and walked quickly to Schmidt's car. Schmidt was standing on the sidewalk next to the open trunk, tapping his foot. "It's about time. Does no one around here understand how crowded an airport is two days before your celebration of men wandering toward a screaming newborn?"

Nick rolled his eyes as he threw Jess' suitcase in the back and closed the hatch. Schmidt ran to the driver's side as Jess cllmbed into the backseat, Nick following behind her.

Winston yelled from the front seat. "Give it a rest Schmidt. If you didn't need to check your damn luggage full of full size hair supplies, we wouldn't have to rush."

Schmidt climbed in and turned the key in the ignition. "Right, I'll just risk my hair follicles on the off chance that the place where you two," he motioned between Winston and the backseat "come from know ANYTHING about my hair care needs". Schmidt rolled his eyes and pulled out into traffic and muttered, "idiots" under his breath.

Jess laughed and flicked the top of Schmidt's hair from the seat behind him. "I'm sure one of the bridesmaids would let you borrow something"

Schmidt wasn't amused as his car erupted into laughter. Nick looked over at Jess and gave her one of his smiles that he saved just for her. She smiled back weakly and he raised his eyebrows. She shrugged her shoulders and he reached out to give her hand a squeeze. Schmidt glared at them in the rear view mirror.

"Hey, none of that eye sex back there you two. The only one allowed to get any pleasure in that seat is ME."

Jess screeched "Ew, SCHMIDT!"

In unison, Jess, Winston, and Nick all screamed. "JAR!"

* * *

When they arrived at the airport, they waited for Schmidt to check his luggage. Winston wandered off to answer a call from Daisy, leaving Nick and Jess by the security gates. They were both leaning with their backs against the wall in silence, when Nick pushed off and gently grabbed Jess by the shoulders turning her towards him.

"Hey, what's up?"

Jess gave a small smile, but avoided eye contact. She felt him shake her gently and looked into his eyes.

"Jessica, are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

He wasn't convinced and gently put his hand under her chin, tilting it towards him. "Jess..."

She sighed sadly, put her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. He hugged her close and kissed the top of her head, waiting for her to speak. "I'm sorry Nick. I'm just really nervous to see your mom again, and I miss my family a little bit. That's all."

Nick gently rubbed her back. "I'm sorry for making you come out here with me at Christmas."

She jerked back suddenly, almost bumping his chin with her head. "NO, no, that's not what I meant." She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss. "I LOVE going home with you, and spending time with your family." She smiled and he winked at her. "The holidays are just always hard. I always felt torn between my mom and dad, and well, it's usually such a hard time. And..." She paused. "I just really want your mom to like me. Especially now."

Nick gave a little laugh. "Trust me, Jess, she DOES. You saved the day by being Elvis at my dad's funeral, you're officially a Miller for LIFE." His face froze the second it came out of his mouth. He probably worded that entirely wrong. Did he just blow it, making the rest of the trip inevitably awkward?

Her eyes sparkled and her fingers began gently scratching the back of his neck. She whispered, "I like the sound of that."

Before Nick could respond, Winston tapped him on the shoulder and motioned toward the security counter. "Schmidt's frantically sending out hand signals over there, we better go before they think he's plotting something evil."

Nick and Jess broke apart and grabbed their luggage, following Winston to the security where Schmidt was waiting.


	2. Chapter 2

After Schmidt managed to cause drama in the security line, and whine about their flight delay, Nick and Jess were relieved to be seated a full five rows behind him once they boarded the plane.

Nick took his seat by the window and Jess collapsed next to him, grabbing his hand with a huge sigh of relief. "WHAT is with Schmidt today? Am I just on edge or is he being more ridiculous than usual?"

Nick put his right elbow on the armrest next to the window, resting his head on his hand to rub his eyes. "I don't know. He's still pissed he didn't get a plus one for the wedding."

"Really? It's such a small wedding, why wouldn't he understand?"

Nick clicked the armrest between them and lifted it. He wrapped his arm around Jess and pulled her close. "Honestly?," He kissed the top of her head and gave a little laugh. "I think he's mad that we get to be together."

Jess slapped his knee. "Shhh, don't laugh, he's just lonely." She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. "I'd be lying though, if I said I wasn't excited about this wedding. I've never been to a wedding with the Best Man before."

He smiled and bent down to kiss her lips. "I think you'll probably change your mind once you hear my speech."

"Aw, I'm sure you'll do fine."

Nick frowned. "Don't count on it."

"Do you know what you're going to say?"

Nick laughed nervously. "Not a clue."

"Hey, I can always distract everyone with another rendition of 'In The Ghetto'" They both started laughing until the stewardess stopped by their row, reminding them to buckle up for take-off. Their laughter subsided and they both sat up in their seats, still holding hands. Nick reached over and rubbed the hand clasping his tightly, with a seriousness in his voice.

"Hey, um, Jess?" Jess looked at him with a questioning stare as his voice cracked a little. "Thank you for coming on this trip with me. I know that it's the holidays, and..."

Jess twisted in her seat and leaned her head against the backrest, smiling at him. "Nick...stop. I WANT to be with you right now, ok. I can't imagine Christmas without you. And even if I miss my family, I would miss YOU more. You know I love you, right?"

Nick smiled and gave her another soft kiss. They gave each other one last glance before Jess rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, waiting for take-off. No matter how much she may miss going home to Portland, she couldn't imagine not spending their first Christmas as a couple, together. She was anxious, but excited to be heading to Chicago for another wedding with Nick. Memories of Cece's wedding just a few months ago came flooding back to her. That night she had almost lost Nick, and they had come so far since that night when they had fallen asleep on the beach. She wanted to show him how important he was to her, and she was going to try her hardest to win Bonnie's approval on this trip. She had been so cold to her at the funeral, but Jess was hoping this time would be different. Even though she had warmed up to her a little as they were heading back to LA, she really wanted to make sure the Miller family saw how much she cared for Nick. Prove that she was good enough to, maybe, one day join their family. Jess smiled at the thought, and then realized how deep her feelings for Nick had become since they had been together. She felt a little overwhelmed, hoping that Nick would someday feel the same.


	3. Chapter 3

When they arrived in Chicago, the Miller house was in it's usual state of chaos. Winston and Schmidt carried the luggage through the front door into the room to the left, while Bonnie pulled Nick and Jess into the family room.

"Oh Nicky, I can't believe you finally made it home for Christmas!" Bonnie gave his cheek a pat and pulled him in for a hug. Jess, who had been holding his right hand, took a step back as Jamie came barreling between them, throwing his arms around both Nick and their mom.

"OH MAN. I'm gettting maaaaaarried."

Nick rolled his eyes and pulled away. "Right man. Congrats." He glanced to his right and rolled his eyes again at Jess, as Jamie dove at Nick for another hug.

"My best maaaaaaan."

"Got it, Jamie. Yep, best man."

Bonnie smiled at her boys and then motioned to Jess for a hug. Jess stepped forward apprehensively as Bonnie wrapped her arms around her hard and squeezed her tight. "Oh my dear, I can't believe Nicky brought you too!" She held onto Jess for a few seconds. Nick looked at Jess hugging his mom, with relief and pride.

"So, where's Winnie and fat Schmidt?" Bonnie shifted back and forth to see around Nick, Jamie, and Jess and ran past them to hug Winston and Schmidt.

"Heeeeey, Mrs. Miller." Winston hugged Bonnie.

She patted his cheek and then hugged Schmidt. "So glad everyone could make it for the wedding." Bonnie quickly turned on her heels and breezed past everyone ushering them all into the living room. "Come on in everyone, sit down!"

Nick gave a quick wave to Deanna who was facing them on the chair at the opposite end of the room. "Hey, Deanna." His Aunt Ruthie was sitting in front of them on the couch, with her back to everyone. Nick leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Aunt Ruthie".

She turned her head toward Nick, a little confused. "Damn lit up Menorah across the street."

Nick and Jess both looked at each other and whipped their heads around toward Schmidt who rolled his eyes and mouthed "Christians!"

Bonnie was behind Jess and gently nudged her toward the couch, "Sit. Sit everyone."

Nick lunged to his right and grabbed Jess' hand before Bonnie could push her any further. "Hey, Ma?" He pulled Jess towards him and smiled at his mom. "We're all really tired, could we just unpack a little first?" Jess gave Nick a relieved glance and he squeezed her hand.

Bonnie frowned a little, then shrugged her shoulders. "Right. Yeah, I'm sure you're all tired." She motioned to Winston further back in the hall by the stairs. "Winnie, you and Schmidt can take your things to Jamie's old room." She turned to her right and looked at Nick, smiling. "Nick, you and Jess just put your things in your old room, okay?"

Nick exchanged glances with Jess and they both nodded their heads.

Bonnie stepped forward and grabbed their shoulders, turning them around. "So, you two go get settled, and come down in a little bit for dinner. Yes?"

"Sure, Ma."

Nick grabbed the luggage by the front door and motioned with his head for Jess to follow him up the stairs. When they got into the room, Nick quickly closed the door behind him, the room suddenly becoming very quiet. They finally removed their coats, and both collapsed onto the bed. Nick was laying on his back and Jess shifted onto her side to face him as they both erupted into giggles.

"Well, that was pretty painless on the Miller scale of craziness." He turned his head to look at Jess, who had propped her head on her hand to look at him. She laid her left hand on his chest.

"You have a really great family, Nick."

Nick flipped to his side, mirroring her position and squeezed her hand. "Thanks again for coming, Jess. It means a lot to me."

She leaned in to give him a kiss. "No problem, my best maaaaaaaaan." She lowered her voice to mimic Jamie.

The started to laugh even harder and Nick grabbed her, pulling her on top of him. Their laughter gradually stopped and Jess looked down at his face. She pulled her arms up above his head and started to gently massage his hair. "I love you, Miller." She bent down to kiss him.

Their quickly deepened until their was a knock at the door. "Nicholas."

Nick gave an exasperated sigh. "What is it SCHMIDT?!"

"Will you kindly keep your sexcapades to a minimum here? Chicago builders have no idea how important quality drywall is."

They listened as Schmidt stomped back down the hall and slammed the door.

Jess slid to the side and laid next to Nick as she started laughing again.

"God, he is SO PISSED about the plus one thing, isn't he?"

"He can be as pissed off as he wants," Nick raised his voice to a yell. "AS LONG AS HE INVESTS IN SOME EARPLUGS, BECAUSE MY GIRLFRIEND AND I ARE HAVING FUN ON THIS TRIP!"

Jess gave him a playful smack on his shoulder as Schmidt's muffled voice responded on the other side of the wall. "THIN WALLS, PEOPLE. THIN WALLS."


	4. Chapter 4

Jess and Schmidt were sitting off to the side of the living room by themselves. The Miller family was bickering back and forth about what was going on the next day, and what would happen at the rehearsal, which they were on their to in a matter of moments. Every once and awhile, Nick would look over at her and roll his eyes. She could tell he was becoming increasingly annoyed, and she started to wonder if it was just how it was playing out as another Miller event, or if it was the idea of marriage in general.

"Hey Schmidt, can I ask you something without you getting all weird?"

"Can't promise you anything, but go on."

"How serious were Nick and Caroline? I mean, did it ever get to the point where they talked about getting married?"

"Caroline? Nah. She wasn't interested."

Jess raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, they had a pretty rocky relationship, but he was always more serious about it than she was."

"Hmm. I didn't realize..."

"Honestly, they never really seemed to communicate that well. I mean, we all know how NICK is, but she really just strung him along because she didn't want to be alone."

"That's really sad, Schmidt. No wonder he's so weird about things sometimes.

Schmidt smiled. "You really love our little Nick Miller, don't you?"

"Come on, Schmidt."

"No, I'm serious."

Jess just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "He's...he's just so perfect in this amazingly sweet and vulnerable way, you know?"

"So he didn't run away when you started talking about getting married?"

"Please, I'm scared to death to bring it up with him. I mean come on Schmidt, we've been together for 7 months. That's just crazy." She waited for a response, but was met with silence. She turned to him and shoved his shoulder. "RIGHT?!"

Schmidt avoided her gaze.

"Schmidt... WHAT DO YOU KNOW, MAN?!"

He held up his hands and shook his head. "Honestly, nothing. I swear."

Jess gave him a smirk. "Ok. I MIGHT believe you."

"Look Jess, I've seen Nick go through a lot since I've met him. Even if he doesn't tell you how he feels, I know he's crazy about you."

She frowned a little. "I know, I just..." She felt tears forming in her eyes. "I just want to know if I should prepare myself for him to just up and panic moonwalk out of my life one day, you know?"

"Jess. He's not going to do THAT. Why would you even think that?"

"I don't, really. I just...he's so hard to read sometimes, you know? I..." Her voice cracked a little. "I really love him Schmidt, and...well, sometimes I'm afraid that it's all just going to disappear one day."

Schmidt squeezed her arm. "Jess, I can tell you with 100% certainty that he is just as serious about this relationship as you are."

She playfully punched his knee. "Thanks Schmidt."


	5. Chapter 5

Dinner had gone surprisingly well. Since it was such a small wedding and there was so much going on at the church for the holidays, the rehearsal was very quick and they had gone out to a small Italian restaurant for dinner. It was late when they got back to the house, and everyone had drifted off to their rooms for the night, in order to get some rest before the wedding the next day.

Winston and Schmidt had already gone upstairs and Bonnie, Nick, and Jess were at the bottom of the stairs. Bonnie gave them each a quick hug. "Well, you kids get to bed. I need to fix a few things on Deanna's dress, so I'll be upstairs if you need me." She smiled at both of them and climbed the stairs to her room.

Nick grabbed Jess by the waist and pulled her close. "Did I tell you how amazing you look tonight?"

Jess swatted his chest and blushed a little. "Nick!"

"Hey, I'm serious. I saw that waiter checking you out. Don't pretend you didn't notice." He smiled at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Nah, I don't really go for blondes."

"Oh, I see."

She slowly ran her hands up his shoulders and put her arms around his neck. "So, will you have to stay with the Maid of Honor tomorrow, or do I get a little Nick Miller action all to myself?"

He grimaced a little thinking of Deanna's younger sister, the Maid of Honor. "YOU will not leave my side tomorrow. I want everyone to know who my girlfriend is." All she could do was smile. What a different person he had become in the past few months. She remembered back to when it took them months to even admit there was something between them, and now, being open about their relationship seemed like the easiest thing in the world.

"Jess?"

"Hmm?"

"Whatcha thinking about?"

She smiled deviously and slowly grabbed his tie. She started to walk backwards up the stairs, tugging at him gently to follow. "I'm thinking that I'm up for a challenge."

He reached out and grabbed her waist, aggressively pulling her off the step above him and into his arms. "Oh yeah?" His voice got huskier. "What kind of challenge?"

She let out a small gasp as he tightened his grip, his hand scrunching the back of her dress. She looked mischievously into his eyes, squinting ever so slightly. Her voice had a deep, seductive tone to it. "I bet that I can drive you so crazy that Schmidt hears YOU first."

They froze for a moment, staring into each others eyes.

Nick raised his eyebrows. "I'll take that bet and raise you..." He pressed a kiss to her lips and lowered his voice to a whisper. "If I win," he nudged her neck and pressed a firm kiss right below her earlobe, "tomorrow", he ran his lips down the side of her neck "my gorgeous date", he kissed the indentation at her clavicle as she moaned softly "wears nothing", he ran his hand up the outside of her leg under her dress and pulled her against him when he reached her hips, "under here".

They both stared into each other's eyes, breathing heavily. She raised her eyebrows and held her breath as his fingers slowly traced the edge of her panties. His eyes remained fixed on hers, neither of them moving. In one swift motion, the hand across her back pulled her into his chest as the thumb under her skirt pressed deep inside of her.

Jess moaned and threw her head back, as Nick leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "Ready for this challenge, Day?"

She pressed herself against his chest, changing her position just enough to feel him go even deeper and breathlessly gasping, "Bring it Miller".


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is pretty hot, folks. Fair warning for the M rating. **

* * *

Jess turned around and quickly ran up the stairs, Nick trying to reach up her skirt the entire way. She swatted his hand away behind her and whipped around, giving him a glare and pointing to the end of the hall where Bonnie's light was coming from under her door. Their room was the first room on the right, and they quietly slipped inside. Jess slowly turned the knob to latch it closed, and pushed in the lock.

Jess turned around to Nick, who already had his tie undone and was taking off his shirt. He threw it down on the floor when she started to slowly walk towards him shaking her head. She placed a hand in the center of his naked chest, pushing him backwards towards the bed. He grinned at her as her eyes glared into his. When his knees hit the bed, she gave him a gentle shove. One knee at at a time, she straddled herself across his lap, putting both hands on his shoulders to forcefully lay him down. He reached around to grab her waist, but her reflexes were too quick. She shook her head silently and grabbed his wrists, fanning his arms out and pinning them above his head.

"Jess..." His voice was deep in his throat as she slowly grinded against him, driving him crazy. "Hmmmm, you really want to win this thing, don't you?"

She nodded and began a trail of kisses down his neck. "Yesssssss." She kissed him hard and quick on the lips and pulled back. "So," she whispered softly. "We still haven't discussed what I get when _I _win."

He smiled and winked at her. His whispers were uneven, as he tried to catch his breath as he spoke. "Oh, is that right? So what does my beautiful lady want?"

"Well," She sat up, and reached for the zipper to her dress on her left side. "I want," She watched his eyes as he fixed his gaze on her hands as she unzipped her dress and pulled it over her head. "hmmmmm" she hummed slowly in her throat, which she knew drove him crazy. She threw the dress to the side and leaned over him, as he cupped her naked breasts in his hands. "Well..." She kissed him slowly as she began to run her fingers between his pants and his stomach. She started to unbuckle his pants as his caresses intensified on her breasts. She closed her eyes and moaned, losing concentration. "What...if..." She unzipped his pants and massaged her hand down his erection until she could grip it firmly. He started panting and sat up, crashing his lips on hers before she could finish.

She felt him smile against her lips as they kissed and she lazily leaned back her head and opened her eyes. She shifted in her lap to pull her legs out from under her and wrapped them around his waist. "OH, I see how it is." She gently scratched the back of his neck with her fingernails, methodically pressing down into his lap against him. "You think you can distract _me_, huh?" She raised her eyebrows and watched him try hard control himself.

He tried to ignore the pressure he felt building as she moved in circles on his lap. He attempted to casually shrug his shoulders and kissed her again. His voice was gruff and uneven. "Hey, I'm just trying to be quiet."

She tilted her right shoulder in front of her, and in a seductive voice purred. "Is that right?" Tugging against his grip on her waist, she backed off his lap, trailing her hands down his chest, until she got to waist of his pants. He lifted slightly as she pulled his pants and underwear down his legs. They fell from her hands next to the bed as she dropped to her knees in front of him. His eyes darkened, his smiling slowly fading with lust. She lowered her head aggressively giving his erection one long, lingering lick. He growled loudly and grabbed the back of her head, tangling his fingers in her dark curls.

"God Jess."

She let out a giggle and stood up. Once again she was leaning towards him, her naked breasts inches from his face. "Uh uh" She put her fingers to her own lips and then his. "You have to be quiet if you want to win." She slowly bent over and pushed her underwear down her legs, her eyes not leaving his. She stood up and hooked her finger around them, shrugging her shoulders and flicking them to the side.

He was having a hard time resisting the urge to grab her, but the excitement in her fiery eyes willed him to continue on with their game. He loved her seductive side and the idea that everyone was sleeping around them made it all the more enticing to play.

She had a devious look on her face as she stepped backward. She ran her hands up her sides, through her hair, and stretched her arms in the air while arching her back.

Nick's eyes narrowed, his breathing becoming heavy. "Don't do it." His fists balled up beside him as he tried to restrain himself.

She glanced at him innocently. "What?" She slowly started moving her right leg to the side. "You mean," she put her hands on her hips and started to lean into her bent right leg. "don't do" She slowly lowered her body into the lunge. "THISSSSSSSS?" Her voiced hissed as she closed her eyes and flipped her hair from side to side.

He shook his head and jumped off the bed. Within seconds her was grabbing her waist and lifting her off the floor. She let out a small gasp as the force of his chest against hers knocked the wind out of her lungs. Their lips crashed together as she wrapped her legs around his waist and he turned them around to the bed. He threw them onto the bed, landing on top of her with a soft thud. His voice got louder as he reached down between her legs. "You can have whatever you want." Their kisses intensified as he pumped his fingers, hearing her moan against her lips. She felt her body sliding up the bed as she lost control. Her body shook as she lifted her head to look into his eyes.

"Don't...stop."

He kissed her neck as he continued to move his fingers. Her final releasing moan was muffled as he pressed his lips to her mouth and their tongues fought for dominance. Her eyes flew open and the adrenaline pumping through her veins gave her the strength to forcefully flip them over, Jess now on top.

She hovered over him on all fours and slowly lowered herself onto him as she desperately tried to catch her breath. She pressed herself against the base of his shaft and slid down, pausing at the tip before lifting her torso off of him again. He shook his head, grabbed her and flipped her over.

She looked at him fiercely. "Condom, Nick. NOW!"

He grabbed her makeup bag off the nightstand and ripped it open, dumping the entire contents on the floor as his fingers caught what he was looking for.

She reached above her head and grabbed the headboard behind her. He smiled as he slowly entered her, watching her face fall apart. At the last moment he pushed deep, pressing his thumb against her hard at the same time.

She finally let out a deep, loud moan. "ohhhhhh, you win. YOU WIN." She lifted her head, her eyes clouding over as she tried to focus on his triumphant smile. "Just keep goooooooing."

He nibbled her neck as they moved together, no longer caring how loud they were. Moments later he collapsed next to her, both trying to catch their breath.

"Oh, Nick." Her voice was a scratchy whisper. "I'll never wear underwear again if you promise to keep doing whatever it is you just did."

He turned to her with a satisfied grin on his face. He leaned his head on his hand and gently drew circles on her shoulder. "You keep playing your bets like that and I don't care _what _you want from me."

She turned her head towards him and laughed playfully. "Deal." Their laughter slowly died down and their breathing becoming regular again. They stared into each others eyes and Jess reached up with the arm closest to him and started to play with his hair. "I could do this forever."

He slid his body close to hers and kissed her on the lips. "Me too."


	7. Chapter 7

Jess snuggled against Nick's chest for a few minutes in silence. His arm was around her and he was methodically tracing his fingers up and down her upper arm.

Jess murmured with her eyes closed. "Nick, I need to take my contacts out, but I don't even want to move."

He squeezed her arm, smiling. "Hmmm, then don't."

She lifted her head slowly, and stared at him sleepily. "I love you."

"I love you too, Jessica."

She let out a loud sigh and moaned as she sat up. His hand trailed down her back, gently scratching it. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes again. "God, that feels so good."

Nick let out a small growl and gave her back a tap. "You better get moving before we end up in another one of your challenges."

Her eyes darted open and she laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right. Wouldn't want you to fall asleep during your speech tomorrow." She turned around and smiled at him as she stood up.

"Right, don't remind me." He rubbed his eyes.

She walked to the chair and put on her pajamas, grabbing a hairtie off the dresser and pulling her hair back in a messy ponytail. She motioned to the opposite side of the bed where Nick was laying. "Hey, throw me my makeup bag, would ya?"

He sat up and leaned over the bed. "Shit, I dumped it out getting the condom."

She threw up her hands and ran around the bed. "Nick, all my jewelry for the wedding was in there!"

He swung his legs over and leaned over to start picking up the contents of the bag off the floor. "Sorry Jess, would you rather get pregnant?!"

Jess looked up from her squatted position in front of the mess and her head snapped back just a little. His voice had such a harsh tone to it, and for some reason, it made her a little emotional. "Gee Nick, be a little more sensitive, would you?"

"Excuse me?"

She shook her head and looked at the floor, scooping up the last of the contents and holding the bag out for Nick to put the things he had picked up back in the bag. "Nevermind. Just. Don't be so...I don't know..." Her voice trailed off.

Nick looked at her confused. "I'm sorry Jess, I don't know what I just said to get you so upset."

Her eyes started to well up a little and she started walking toward the door. "Just forget it."

Nick jumped out of bed and grabbed her arm, just as she was ready to turn the doorknob. "Hey, what's happening here?" He was incredibly confused as to why she had tears in her eyes, and he definitely hadn't set out to upset her. He still wasn't sure what he had said.

Her voice softened to a whisper. "Obviously I don't want to get pregnant right now. But...well...I just." He tried to get her to look at him, but she turned away. "I just don't like when you talk about it as this horrible thing."

His frustrated glare fell and he rubbed her shoulders. His right hand moved to the side of her face and he gently coaxed her head upward. "Hey, I don't EVER mean that I NEVER want kids. You know that, right?" He searched her eyes, hoping he would see some understanding in them. This was new territory for him, and definitely a conversation that they had never had before. "I just meant NOW."

She stared into his eyes for a moment before he continued, his voice cracking. "When we're ready, I _want _kids with you."

Jess felt her breath catch in the back of her throat. Did she really hear him correctly? Had he thought about this before? It wasn't her intention to have this conversation right at this moment, especially at this point in their relationship. But hearing him say it, made her realize how much she wanted to hear it.

"Wait, so, you've thought about it before?"

He swallowed hard. Was this too soon? Should he really be admitting all of this right now? "Yes, Jess. I have. I think...No, I KNOW that this is serious for me. And, for me at least, that means," He paused looking for some indication as to whether he had already taken this conversation too far. "...that means marriage and kids and maybe a little house someday." He saw her eyes start to sparkle, and he slowly smiled. He waited for her response, but she just stared at him. "I probably sound like a nut, right? Seven months into this and I just blew it, didn't I?" He was half joking, but half terrified that she would turn around and bolt out the door. She was still frozen in front of him and his arms started to drop from her shoulders. "Damn it, I'm sor..."

She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him to her lips for a kiss. She tried to will herself not to cry, but she felt a tear run down her cheek. Nick pulled back when he felt something wet hit his cheek and quickly reached up to wipe it from her face. "Jess, I'm sorry. Don't be upset. Look, we don't need to think about this right now, especially with the wedding."

She shook her head. "No, no I'm HAPPY Nick. I just. I think I really needed to hear you say that this was serious for you too, because... well, I feel so overwhelmed sometimes with how fast we've fallen into this." She paused, but quickly continued when she saw doubt creep into his eyes. "No, it's good. It's VERY good. I just...I don't think I was ready to feel this way." Nick smiled. "But, well I do." She shrugged her shoulders and let out a laugh.

Nick wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug, burying his face in her hair. "I'm just going to say _I love you, _right now, because I think we're both way too tired for this conversation".

He felt her body shake with laughter as she pulled back and started toward the door. "I love you, Miller. Go to sleep." She flashed him one more of her infectious smiles as she moved into the hall and closed the door.

Nick walked back to the bed and laid on his back staring at the ceiling. He knew he had just said too much. How did all of that end up coming out just now? Since getting together with Jess, he had tried so hard to be conscious of how unconventional their relationship really was. He felt like he was constantly having to rationalize his feelings to himself, especially the ones that seemed far too intense this early in a relationship. The fact that they had been best friends and roommates before all this began, while making most things easier, seemed to put them into a serious and long term relationship almost from the second they left Cece's wedding. They woke up together every morning, spent evenings on the couch together, and did mundane things like go grocery shopping with each other. In some ways it felt as if they were already married, so it was hard for him to ever imagine going backwards again. He had reached a point where his heart already knew he was spending the rest of his life with her, but how ridiculous of him to not ask her if that's what she wanted. What if she really didn't?


	8. Chapter 8

Jess made her way to the bathroom at the end of the hallway. When she looked in the mirror, she let out a long sigh, realizing that she had been almost holding her breath since leaving their room. What was she feeling right now? Fear? Relief? Excitement? What had just happened? Why had she let such a ridiculous comment about a condom upset her so much? Of course she didn't want to be married or pregnant right now, right? That would be ridiculous...

She took her contacts out, washed her face, and started to brush her teeth. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. How had she fallen so deep into their relationship so fast. If she was going to be honest with herself, she had started thinking about marriage and kids MONTHS ago. Their conversations had been so effortless since they got together, but she felt like she had to hold so much back. Carefully let herself feel things when she thought she _should _feel them. Her brain tried so hard to hold her back when her heart wanted to jump into things that she tried to rationalize weren't what was "supposed" to happen yet between them. They had only been dating for seven months. There were certain things that you just don't PUSH this early. Right? But why not? Why didn't it feel _honest _to her when she held back? She WANTED to talk about these things with him, because she really was thinking about them. Why did she always feel like she shouldn't? Did she believe that he really wasn't on the same page, or more afraid that he was?

She put her glasses on and cleaned up the sink. Now just wasn't the time or place, she told herself. It was Christmas and he was the Best Man in his brother's wedding. It was perfectly normal for her mind to wander to all of these things right now. When they got back to the loft, everything would be okay. They could take their time so she wouldn't scare him away with too much responsibility. She nodded to herself and whispered, "That's what you've got to do Jess, stop living in your fairy tale world. You'll just scare him away."

She confidently started back down to the hall when she noticed Bonnie's light on. She paused at the door and saw that she was still awake, sitting at her sewing machine by the window. She looked exhausted, maybe she should help her finish up so they could all get some sleep.

Jess quietly tapped on the door.

* * *

"Come in".

Jess slowly opened the door. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to interrupt you, but I was heading to bed and wanted to make sure you didn't need any help".

Bonnie leaned over and gave the bed a pat. "That's sweet of you, come sit with me for a minute."

Jess walked over to the bed and sat down. She was still a little on edge around Bonnie. "Thank you so much for inviting me for the holidays, it was really nice of you".

Bonnie smiled warmly, "Nicky hasn't made it home in years, I'm just happy he has someone who cares so much about him."

Jess suddenly became nervous and started fidgeting with her fingers as Bonnie went back to pinning the dress. Jess looked up at Bonnie and noticed her wedding ring.

"Your ring is beautiful, I've never seen anything like it before". Bonnie stopped and stared for a moment, and Jess could see tears well up in her eyes. "OH. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything..." Bonnie shook her head and reached out to pat Jess' hand.

"oh, it's ok. It's actually a really sweet story." Bonnie paused and smiled. "Walt didn't have a lot of money when we were dating. We were walking downtown one day and I insisted on stopping in this tiny little antique shop." Bonnie gave a little laugh, looking down at the ring and then back at Jess. "This ring just jumped out at me and I couldn't stop looking at it. Well, the next day, Walt went back and bought it and then proposed."

Jess started to relax as she felt more at ease with Nick's mom, and she smiled. "What a great memory to have.".

"Walt never did things I would expect, and he never did anything romantic in a way that would make sense to anyone else. But I always knew he loved me".

Jess and Bonnie locked eyes for a moment, and Jess finally felt like she had a connection to this woman who had shown her so much disapproval on their last visit. Jess looked back down at the ring "It sounds like a perfect proposal, and it's even more special to think your ring has a history behind it. That's much more meaningful than just going to a store and picking one out."

Bonnie fiddled with the ring again, looking a little sad. There was a long pause before Bonnie looked back at Jess. "Have you and Nicky talked about anything serious?'

Jess was taken aback by her question, but she couldn't help but notice a little hopefulness in Bonnie's expression. Jess suddenly got very nervous and stumbled on her word. "I. We. Um, no." She felt her face flush. She felt so disoriented after her conversation with Nick just moments ago. She was still so unsure about how fast all this was happening. Her head felt like it was spinning and she continued to stumble on her words, not knowing how Bonnie would take to this coming up so soon in their relationship. Especially after being so leery of Jess in general on their last visit. What if Bonnie thought she was somehow forcing Nick into something?

"I. We just...I'm not sure that's something that Nick really wants...it's so soon." She tried to avoid looking at Bonnie, hoping that she didn't pick up on how nervous she had become. She has been so sure that Nick hadn't thought of this turning into anything more, but now she was even more confused. She was also so unfamiliar with Bonnie, that she didn't know how to read her questions. Was she was questioning her out of curiosity or concern? As Bonnie stood up, Jess felt a warm, reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I'll let you get to bed. Thank you for stopping by to talk. It's nice to remember all the good times with Walt".

Jess stood up and Bonnie gave her a tight hug. Before she let go, she whispered in Jess' ear, "He's crazy about you.".

Bonnie let go without another word and went back to her chair. Jess walked out of the room and closed the door softly behind her.

Bonnie sat for a minute, staring at her ring and smiling.

* * *

Jess tried to sneak into their room as quietly as possible, but managed to stub her toe as she was closing the door behind her. "Gah..." she muttered under her breath.

Nick stirred in the bed, "Jess?"

Jess caught her breath and made her way over to the bed. "yeah, it's me." She climbed in beside him and he pulled her close. "I'm sorry if I woke you up. You need to sleep."

"What took you so long?" His voice was sleepy. "I was cold."

Jess flipped over to face him and snuggled into his neck. "Your mom was still awake, I just stopped in to say good night". There was silence for a few moments and then she spoke softly "We had such a nice talk, I think she might be starting to like me."

Nick smiled at the happiness he could hear in her voice. "I told you there was nothing to be nervous about. She knows you're part of my family now". Nick froze. Would she think that was odd? _Nice Miller. Like you haven't screwed up enough tonight already...__  
_

Jess smiled in the darkness. "Goodnight Miller"

Nick felt his body relax and kissed the top of her head, "goodnight Jessica"


	9. Chapter 9

"Will you hold still!" Jess gave Nick's tie a little tug.

Nick grabbed his collar and craned his neck back and forth, clearly uncomfortable. "Damn, this suit is awful."

She smoothed his tie. "Tux, Nick. It's a TUX."

"How are they not the same thing?!"

She glanced at him and raised her eyebrows. He gave her a quick smile and stepped back. He spun around and threw his arms out to either side. "How do I look?"

She brought her right hand to her chin, resting her elbow on her other arm across her body. "Definitely a 10."

He laughed. "You're so weird."

She tilted her head and smiled. "I'm going to have a really hard time keeping my hands off you in this, Miller. You know that, right?"

He winked at her. "That's what I like to hear."

He stepped forward and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. She was still in her robe with her hair loose around her shoulders.

"So, you ok to get to the church?"  
She bent down to grab his coat off the bed. "Yeah, yeah. I just need to finish getting ready. I'm riding with Schmidt and Winston in your mom's car. She's getting her hair done with Deanna and her mom, so they're going straight to the church in the limo."

"Ok. Hey, I'm sorry I won't see you too much this morning."

She shrugged her shoulders as he put on his jacket. "No worries. I'll just take my time getting ready and hang out with the guys 'til we leave."

"Sure you don't want to come hang out with Bobby and Jamie with me?"

"Yeah, no I think I'm ok." She gave a little giggle as she smoothed her hands down his jacket sleeves. "You look so good." She muttered, almost to herself.

"What's that Day? I'm so hot you want to rip my clothes off?"

She gave him a quick kiss. "Later Miller. Later."

* * *

Jess was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when she saw something catch her eye in the mirror. She turned around and saw a folded piece of yellow paper laying on the bed. She walked over and picked it, unfolding it and smiling. She walked over to the desk by the window and grabbed a pen, quickly scribbling something at the bottom and putting it in her purse. She rolled her eyes when she heard Schmidt's voice from downstairs.

"Jessica Day, WHERE ARE YOU?! I want to make my entrance in plenty of time before the start of the ceremony!" Schmidt paced in front of the staircase and shouted upstairs.

A door closed and Jess started down the stairs. "Geez, Schmidt, you'd think you were the BRIDE."

"Dayum girl!" Winston whistled from behind Schmidt.

Jess flashed a satisfied smile toward Winston. "Why thank you Winston, I'll take that as a compliment!"

Schmidt waved a dismissive hand in her direction. "Yeah, yeah, you're wearing a shiny dress to go to a wedding. Whoopdy freakin' doo. Let's discuss how fabulous I look in my brand new Armani suit."

Jess rolled her eyes. "Yes Schmidt, you look fabulous."

They grabbed their coats and headed out the door. Schmidt insisted on driving, while Winston climbed in the back so Jess could sit up front.

Jess shivered under her coat. "I can't get used to this cold weather."

Schmidt started the engine and pulled out onto the road. "Well maybe if you put on some more clothes."

Jess rolled her eyes. "Please. I look hot and you know it."

Schmidt shriveled his nose in disgust. "While we're on the topic of your attire, do I need to remind you how very uncool it would be to have sex at a wedding reception?"

"Ewwwww, SCHMIDT! JAR!"

"Well, we all know Nick won't be able to keep his hands off you in that getup."

Jess winked. "YES!" She pulled her arms into her waist. "Mission accomplished."

"Hilarious. Just be sure to use a condom. The last thing we need is a honeymoon baby."

"That would be for the BRIDE AND GROOM, Schmidt."

"Well regardless, try to keep your sexual exploits to a minimum. This isn't the loft."

"You know, Schmidt, come to think of it, I don't think I have enough condoms in here." she tapped her purse. "Can we have yours? You know, since you won't need any tonight?" She pursed her lips and smirked at him.

Winston started laughing from the backseat, muttering. "Damn, that's cold." She held up her hand and Winston leaned forward to give her a high five.

"Funny, Day. Very funny."

"And, while we're on the topic of wedding etiquette, how about no rabid animals or one hit wonders from the early nineties"

Winston started looking around and whistled softly.

"RABID? I think you're being a LITTLE overdramatic Jess. That badger was one hundred percent the picture of health. Besides, THAT part of the sabo was Winston's idea, NOT MINE." He waved his hand in Winston's direction.

"Hey, Bucky and I were both very disappointed at the outcome of our masterpiece."

* * *

When they got to the church, Schmidt pulled up to the portico and dropped the others off at the door.

Winston held the door open and Jess pointed down the hallway. "Hey, Nick left something in our room. I'll meet you in the church. Save me a seat, okay?"

He nodded, "No problem, Jess."


	10. Chapter 10

"Jaime, it's I THEE wed." Nick was visibly annoyed.

"I BE wed."

"It's NOT I BE WED. You just practiced this yesterday!"

Bobby came up behind Jamie and smacked the back of his head. "You're such an idiot."

Jamie grabbed him in a headlock and started messing with his hair.

Nick lunged at them and tried to pull them apart. "What is wrong with you two?!"

They were still wrestling when there was a small knock at the door. Nick pulled away and straightened his tie as he went to the door and opened it.

When he opened the door, Jess was standing in front of him with a smile on her face. She was wearing a strapless navy blue satin dress with thin silver sash wrapped around and tied at her tiny waist. The skirt of the dress was similar to so many of her others, and it billowed out softly from her waist. Her hair was pulled to the right side in a ponytail at the nape of her neck, which cascaded down over bare shoulder. He stood there speechless for a few moments looking her up and down.

"Nick?"

He shook his head slightly and spoke in a cracked whisper. "You look...You look amazing."

Jess smiled shyly and kissed his cheek. "Hey, I'm sorry to bother you, but you left this on the bed." She handed him a sheet of folded yellow paper. He was confused for a split second and then took a deep breath.

"Oh geez. My speech." He took the paper and started to put it in his pocket. "well, if you can even call it that. Did you read it?"

She shook her head. "Do you want me to?" She reached up to straighten his collar and smooth out his tie.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'll let you revel in my glory later."

She laughed as he grabbed her hands. His expression quickly became serious. "You look really beautiful. Have I seen this before?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Nope. I wanted something special for today. I AM here with the incredibly sexy Best Man".

He just swallowed and stared at her. She shook his hands gently to snap him out of his daze. "You should probably get back in there. It sounds like they might need some sort of referee." She nodded toward the door where loud arguing could be heard inside.

Nick rolled his eyes. "Jamie thinks it's _I BE wed." _Jess raised her eyebrows. "Don't ask."

The both shook their head and Jess stood on her toes to give him a kiss. "Good luck."

He squeezed her hands and turned toward the door.

"Nick." She started walking backwards and gave him a wink. "I left you a little message on that paper." She gave him a flirtatious glance over her shoulder as she swayed down the corridor.

He reached in his pocket and pulled out his speech. He unfolded it and scanned it until he saw her neat handwriting at the very bottom.

_I didn't forget that you won last night._

His eyes shot up from the paper just as she was turning the corner.

Damn. That woman knew how to drive him completely crazy.


	11. Chapter 11

Nick walked back into the room as Jamie and Bobby were breaking up their argument. Everyone slowly made their way out of the room, except for Jamie, who was sitting on a chair by the back wall. Nick walked over and sat down next to him.

"So, you ready for this?"

Jamie nodded. "Yeah, guess I better be, right?"

Nick took a deep breath and leaned forward on his knees, his thumbs nervously twitching. "Sorry dad is isn't here for this, Jamie."

"Yeah, it's kinda weird. I mean, not like he was around for much, but at least he showed up for the good stuff, right?"

"I guess he did, didn't he?"

"You know, ever since he died, I keep thinking he's just gonna show up one day." Jamie gave a short laugh. "I guess I'm still that stupid kid that waits for him to come home."

Nick just nodded as they sat for a few moments in silence. "So," He sat up and gave Jamie's shoulder a punch. "Guess I need to impart some kind of wisdom on you, or some crap like that."

"Nah, you don't know shit about this stuff anyway."

Nick laughed. "Yeah, you got me there."

Jamie smiled his typical goofy grin. "So what's up with you and that hot brunette, anyway? At least you're finally...you know." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Shut up, Jamie."

"Aw, come on, you two can't keep your hands off each other and you know it."

Nick just grinned. "You know, I'm not even gonna argue with ya there."

Jamie leaned back against the chair and crossed his arms. "So you guys serious?"

Nick ran his hands through his hair and cleared his throat. "Yeah, you know..."

Jamie nodded. "Oh, yeeeeeah."

Nick punched him in the shoulder again and stood up. "You're such an idiot". He motioned to the door. "Get out there to get married, man."

Jamie stood up and Nick followed him out the room.

* * *

Jess made her way to the third pew and sat next to Schmidt. Music was playing softly in the background and everyone was starting to fill the church. They spoke in hushed voices.

Schmidt turned to Jess as she sat down. "I assume you found Nick in his tux?" He looked her up and down with a smirk.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

Schmidt leaned in closer. "It means that I'm fully aware of what's been going on on this trip the past few days, Jessica Day. You two have been all over each other."

A little smile crept onto Jess' face. "Possibly."

"Well, you certainly didn't have to christen Nick's childhood room _multiple _times."

"JAR!"

Schmidt leaned back against the pew, his expression relaxing a little. "Well, regardless, what IS up between you guys?" Her eyes squinted and gave him a questioning look. "I don't know, something seems different."

Jess sunk back into the pew. "Really? How so?"

"I don't know. I mean, shouldn't Nick be panicking by now that his mom seems to like you so much?"

Jess turned to Schmidt with a confused look on her face. "What are you talking about?"

Schmidt slid his elbows up and rested them on the top of the pew. "You didn't hear her going on about you out there?"

Her eyes lit up slightly. "Really? When?"

"Just now, everyone's been asking about you apparently." He glared at her. "Although, maybe they're just in awe of your skimpy attire."

Jess grimaced. "Never talk about me like that again Schmidt." She pointed a finger in front of his face. "It's really disturbing."

Jess turned her head around toward the back door, glancing around at Nick's relatives and smiling. She had to admit, she was excited that his mom had been talking so highly of her to everyone. Something about finally winning Bonnie's approval felt really nice.

Schmidt crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Well, at least you two could be here together. I'm still not happy about having to come to this thing alone."

"Seriously, Schmidt? The wedding is small and let's be honest, you should be glad that YOU were invited. When was the last time you said more than two words to Jamie? It's not like you grew up with them like Winston."

"I'll have you know Jess, that we had a very in-depth conversation about our musical preferences back in 2004."

Jess just rolled her eyes.

* * *

As Jamie made his way to the front of the church, Nick met his mom in the lobby waiting to walk her down the aisle. Bonnie took her son's arm and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh Nicky, I wish Walt was here to see this." Nick saw tears in his mother's eyes and patted her hand.

"I do too, Ma."

Bonnie smiled at her son, quickly trying to change the subject. "So, does all this make you excited for your own wedding one day?" Her eyes sparkled.

"Ma..."

"Oh please, I see the way you look at her." Bonnie winked. "Promise me you won't wait forever, I want to see my boys happy."

Nick just gave his mom a nervous smile. "You got it."

They slowly walked into the church and made their way down the aisle. Nick caught Jess' eye as they approached the front pews and he couldn't help but smile. He thought about what his mom had just said to him, and realized just how incredibly happy he was to have this amazing woman smiling back at him at that very moment. Everything was working out for him. NICK MILLER. His life was finally starting to make sense, and it was all because of her. He leaned down to give his mom a kiss on the cheek as she sat down, then made his way to his spot next to Jamie.

* * *

Jess watched Nick as he walked his mom down the aisle. She flashed him a sweet smile and couldn't help but notice how handsome and...grown up Nick looked in his tux. In so many ways, it felt like someone had pushed the fast forward button on their relationship from the moment they stepped foot in Chicago. Part of her was terrified that Nick was moments away from a panic moonwalk straight back to LA. A larger part though, was seeing a new side to Nick. Maybe she was seeing a side that he was afraid to show back home, the side that embraced responsibility for the sake of Bonnie and Jamie. Whatever the reason, she was enjoying how open Nick had become with his feelings and how much more confident she felt in sharing her own. From the very beginning, their relationship had been so unconventional. The things that came easily, living together and knowing the tiny, intimate details about the other, were things that typically took MONTHS to adjust to in any other relationship she had ever been in. But then things that SHOULD be easy, seemed to be exponentially more complicated, like being able to admit to each other how they felt. It was perfectly messy and so imperfectly simple.

Whatever their relationship was transitioning into was happening fast, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time.

* * *

Nick watched as Jamie took Deanna's hand and the minister began the ceremony. His mind was racing and he could barely pay attention.

"...To share one's life with another, from the simplest to most trying times ...When we find someone we want to share each day with, finding laughter and contentment in all of life's little moments. Love is ..."

Nick thought back to all the "insignificant" moments he had shared with Jess. Moments that, on the surface, were mundane and boring. Yet, somehow sharing all these moments with Jess was far from ordinary. He smiled, thinking about how infuriating and adorable Jess could be all at the same.

_"Nick, it's important to buy organic fruit and vegetables when you're eating the whole thing, like these strawberries." She picked up the container, placing it gently in the grocery cart._

_Nick made a turtle face and leaned on the cart handle. "How do you REALLY know it's organic?" he motioned to the display. "They're just telling you that so you're ok with spending more money, when they could just be dumping any old chemical on them anyway."  
_

_Jess crossed her arms and started tapping her foot. "Really? You know they have to follow certain guidelines, they aren't going to just lie to all of us."_

_"Oh, right Jessica. No company has eeeeeever lied to a consumer before."_

_She pushed her arms down her sides and blew her bangs out of her face. "Well, think what you want Nick, but I'm going to keep buying it, because I think it's healthier." She smirked and tilted her chin over her shoulder. "I want to be around to bug you for a long time."_

_Nick slowly shook his head and couldn't resist the smile that was creeping across his face. He pushed the cart past her as she turned her back to him to grab a bag of apples off the shelf. With one hand still on the cart, he stopped to softly put his free hand on her waist and rested his chin on her opposite shoulder. "I can't argue when you talk about being with me for a long time. You get whatever you want."_

_She smiled and leaned her head against his as she gently tapped her hips into his. In her matter-of-fact tone she chided, "You love me."_

_"Yes I do."_

Nick was only half listening as the minister continued speaking. He couldn't take his eyes off of Jess, as he thought about how much he truly cared about her. What if he really WAS ready to settle down with her? What if he said something to her and she thought it was too soon? If he was going to be honest with himself, there was no denying that he had thought about it. A lot. More than he'd care to admit. Even after being together only this short time, he knew he wanted to be with this woman forever. He couldn't spend time with her, or even think about her, without fantasies of a house and children coming into his thoughts. This wasn't him, was it? He was the guy that screwed up, the one that always ran when things got too complicated. The one who messed up everything he touched. He was fooling himself into thinking that she would take that next step with him, right? Even in this moment, watching his brother exchange wedding vows, all he could think about was the day that he would be standing here with Jess.

He couldn't tell her yet though. Not now. Not after seven months. He couldn't risk losing her or facing himself if she said no.

Jess' eyes met his and she gave him a smile. She looked so happy. Was it just being here at the wedding, or was it something more? How could someone like her, so full of life and ambition, be satisfied with someone like him? Just then, Jess' expression changed and her eyes got wide as she mouthed "Nick". He blinked hard and heard Jamie whispering, "Nick, the ring".

Nick shook his head, "right. right, sorry man". He pulled the ring out of his pocket, handing it to his brother. He looked back at Jess and she gave him a wink. God, how was it possible that she was this amazing? He watched Jamie and Deanne kiss and he got a lump in his throat.

He wanted this. He wanted it all. He wanted it with Jess.


	12. Chapter 12

After the ceremony ended and they had taken a few photos of the wedding party, Nick came over and sat down next to Jess in the pew. Jess playfully hit his arm. "Lookin' good up there Miller. You need to find a job where you have to wear a tux every day." She winked at him.

Nick tugged at his collar, loosening the tie just a little. "Not a chance. This is ridiculously uncomfortable."

Jess reached up to help him with the tie and smiled. "Are you done with pictures?"

"Yeah, but Ma wanted to introduce you to a few people, if that's ok."

"Okay. Should we go find her?"

He shook his head. "Nah, she'll come find us." He slapped his hand into her and squeezed. "Seems like a lot of people are shocked that 'ol Nick Miller has such an amazing girlfriend."

She nudged him with her shoulder and laughed. "Nick! What are you telling them? I teach crazy almost-teenagers everyday, I hardly call that amazing."

Nick frowned. "Jessica..." He was interrupted by Bonnie, who had stepped into the pew behind them.

"Hey you two, I want to introduce Jess to a few people." She tapped Jess on the shoulder and motioned for her to stand up. "Come with me, honey" She started to walk out of the pew and waited in the aisle.

Jess nodded and glanced nervously at Nick. He just smiled and kissed her cheek, whispering. "I'll be right behind you, okay." She gave a small nod, before standing up and following Bonnie to the back of the church.

Nick stood up as Schmidt stepped to the end of the pew. "Nicholas Miller in a tux. Such a waste of quality attire."

Nick laughed and punched Schmidt's shoulder. "Shut up, man!"

Schmidt nodded up the aisle. "Girlfriend doing the rounds of introductions I see."

Nick glanced at Bonnie and Jess and smiled. "Guess so. I should probably go with her, before she realizes HOW crazy the Millers really are."

"So, I guess this is really happening then."

Nick grimaced. "Schmidt, what are you talking about?"

"Please Nick, don't pretend to not know what I'm talking about. Your mother," he nodded toward the crowd at the back of the church. "showing Jess off to the relatives? You know this is serious business now, right?"

Nick shook his head. "What's your point Schmidt?"

Schmidt crossed his arms over his chest. "Look Nick, loft dynamic aside, I hope you know what you're doing. You better not mess all this up after bringing her here and parading her around."

"She's my girlfriend Schmidt, and I LIKE all this."

Schmidt held up his right hand and smiled. "Of course you do Nick, who wouldn't? Jess is the most amazing woman to ever give you a second look." His eyes narrowed as he stepped closer. "Just think about what bringing her to a family WEDDING could be putting in her head." He shook his head. "That's all I'm saying."

Nick pondered the words for a second then shrugged. "I don't know Schmidt, maybe I WANT this to spark something in her head."

Schmidt slapped his arm and smiled widely. "Really man?! You serious?"

"Yeah... I mean, maybe. For once, this kind of thing isn't freaking me out Schmidt. I don't know, I kind of like it."

Schmidt smiled smugly. "Good. Then I don't feel bad pointing out to you that I think this is all having that effect on her too."

"Schmidt..." Nick's eyes narrowed.

"Look, I'm not one to get in the middle. The conversations I have in private with the two of you I hold pretty damn sacred...but" Schmidt leaned closer again. "If you WANT this to spark some interest in marrying you someday, I'd say" He overemphasized the last two words in true Schmidt fashion. "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED." He gave a short nod and raised his eyebrows.

Nick nodded slowly, a grin spreading across his face as he watched Jess with his mom.

"I just hope you plan on actually TELLING her all of this, Nick. Don't make her try to guess what you're thinking, because SHE is going to be the one that starts to freak out with all this Miller family attention."

Nick continued to stare straight ahead, Schmidt's words weighing heavy on his mind.

* * *

Jess was laughing with Bonnie when she felt Nick's hand on her shoulder. Bonnie smiled at both of them, "Alright, well I'll leave you two alone." She winked and then looked at Jess. "Are you riding with Winnie and Schmidt to the reception?" Jess nodded, as Bonnie reached out to touch her arm. "I'll see you two there then."

Bonnie disappeared through the string of people still left at the church and Nick whispered into Jess' ear.

"You okay? Sorry to leave you alone with all the crazy people."

Jess turned to face him and laughed. "It's fine, Nick. They were all very nice."

"Listen," He started to tighten his tie, as she reached up to help him. "I have to go with Bobby over to the hotel, but I'll see you in a little bit?"

Jess finished smoothing his tie and looked up at him. "Ummhmmm. I'll be fine."

He studied Jess' eyes for a second, wondering if someone had said something to upset her. Her eyes had a sadness in them that he couldn't quite place. "Hey, you sure you're ok?"

She pushed up on her toes to kiss him. "No worries, Miller. Just a lot of people to meet, that's all."

He wasn't convinced, but he didn't want to push the issue. "Sorry, I have to leave again, you're welcome to come over with me though, I don't think Jamie will care."

"It's fine. I feel bad for them anyway." Jess motioned toward Winston and Schmidt by the door. She let out a laugh. "You know, since a minute doesn't go by that Schmidt has to remind me how miserable he is without Cece here."

Nick laughed and nodded his head. "I'll see you over there." He kissed her cheek, and Jess made her way over to Winston and Schmidt.

"You two look bored out of your minds."

They both nodded, Schmidt rollng his eyes. "Stupid small wedding and no plus ones."

Winston slapped his hands together. "Hey, why don't we head to the hotel early and get some drinks."

Jess nodded. "Sounds good to me. You in Schmidt?"

"Let's go."


	13. Chapter 13

**I thought the story needed a little bit of flirty fun, especially since she DID lose the bet. ;-)**

* * *

Nick was sitting at the bar with a drink. Deanna and Jamie were off getting more pictures taken, and the rest of the guests hadn't yet arrived at the hotel for the reception. He felt a hand on his arm, and turned to see Jess' blue eyes staring at him.

"Geez, Je..." She quickly put her finger to his lips and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Woman's bathroom. Back elevators. Five minutes." She paused. "Remember our bet."

His heart raced and he whipped his head towards her, catching her seductive stare for a split second before she started to leave. He froze on his bar stool for a moment, before downing the last of his drink.

* * *

His heart was pounding in his ears as he rounded the turn before the hallway was about to end. He saw the sign for the rear elevators and paused at the bathroom door. He took a deep breath and slowly opened the door. He saw Jess across the room and held her gaze as he closed the door behind him and locked it. She was sitting on the sink with her legs crossed, her skirt bunched up high on her thighs. She was fanning herself with something small and shiny.

She gracefully kicked off her shoes and hopped of the sink. "Hi."

His mouth was dry and he couldn't get any words to come out. She started to slowly walk towards him.

"I was pretty lonely out there all by myself." She stopped in front of him and grabbed his right hand. "I'm new in town and I don't know annnnnnyone." She winked at him and started pulling him backwards toward a couch in the seating area. She waved her other hand in front of her face. He realized it was a condom and he started to smile. Jess continued her game. "My name is Jessica Knight, what's yours?"

Nick swallowed as her legs hit the couch and she slowly sat down. He had a devious grin plastered on his face. "Pepperwood. Julius Pepperwood."

She gave a sly smile and started to lean backwards, grabbing his tie and pulling his face towards hers. "That's a nice name, Mr. Pepperwood."

Before he could lean in for a kiss, Jess laid her head against the arm of the couch and put her legs across Nick's lap as he sat down. She took her left hand and grabbed his right. "So," She slowly started pulling his hand up her skirt as she batted her eyelashes. "it's been such a long time Mr. Pepperwood." She could see Nick's breathing intensify as she smiled. She continued to guide his hand up her skirt until it reached her hipbone. She took his fingers and spread them flat over her naked skin. Nick's eyes darkened as he started to caress her.

"I could really use someone like you," she was using his tie to pull him toward her face again. His face was directly in front of hers and she whispered "_inside _of me right now". His fingers tightened around her thigh. "Do you think you could do that, Mr. Pepperwood?"

Nick lunged at Jess and crashed his lips on hers. "You are so frickin' hot right now" His hand firmly pushed her legs open and without hesitation, he plunged his fingers into her. Jess moaned and threw back her head, Nick's mouth hungrily attacking her neck.

Suddenly she jerked away from his touch, out of breath. "No...you. I can't wait. I need you."

He sat up on his knees and quickly unbuckled his pants. She reached forward to push everything down and grabbed him hard as he ripped open the condom and put it on. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her. "I want it hard and fast Pepperwood, think you can handle that?."

He smiled against her lips as his fingers pried her open and he slammed into her. "Anything you say, Ms. Knight."

* * *

They glanced at each other silently in the bathroom mirror as they prepared to go out to the reception. Nick was tucking in his shirt and Jess was smoothing down her hair. They turned around and headed for the door. As Jess reached for the handle, Nick grabbed her shoulders gently and turned her around. She pressed her back against the door as Nick leaned close to her face, looking deep into her eyes.

"Jess, that was...You are...God, I'm so in love with you."

She smiled and whispered. "Surprised?"

He kissed her and leaned his forehead against hers. "That was THE hottest thing that has ever happened to me".

She giggled nervously. "Me too."

His voice was husky and inquisitive. "So, uh, is the bet over or..." His voice was softer and a little cracked. "will you be dressed like this all night?"

She put her hands on his chest and lightly smoothed his shirt. "I'll have to stay like this until we get back to our room."

He pressed his lips firmly against hers, only this time instead of intensifying, their kiss became softer and he melted into her, bracing his hands against the door on either side of her head. Not only was he mesmerized by what had just happened, but something about the way she said "our room" made his heart swell.


	14. Chapter 14

**A HUGE thank you to Celticvampriss for kicking my butt in gear and helping me get over the hump that has been plaguing this story for over two months now. So many good things are coming in this story, but I hit a huge wall right in the middle before I could even attempt to get to everything else I have written.**

**I'd also like to thank Joyful-Sound for letting me assist her with editing her magnificent "Don't Let Me Be Lonely". She gave me the motivation to continue on with a multi-chapter story again. And a salute to Mayalala for keeping the forum moving so we can all get a little fire going under us and finish some of the stories clogging our docs folder.**

**To anyone still reading this, a thank you for sticking around through the long delay. I'm confident that I can post pretty quickly from this point forward, so ... enjoy.**

* * *

Nick closed the bathroom door behind them and took Jess' hand as they started down the hallway toward the reception. He brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles, smiling widely at her. She let out a laugh and started to say something when a voice called from down the hall.

"NICKY!" Bonnie was running towards them, waving her arms frantically to get their attention.

Nick mumbled. "Here we go..."

When she reached them, Bonnie had a confused look on her face. "Where have you two been, I've been looking all over for you?"

They nervously glanced at each other before Jess blushed and averted her gaze toward the floor.

"What do you need, Ma?"

Bonnie took a deep breath, glancing back and forth between them, confusion visible on her face. "Nicky, I need you to talk to the bartender. He's arguing with me about the champagne, and I just can't deal with it right now."

Nick nodded, giving Jess' hand a quick squeeze. "I'll handle it." He turned to Jess, leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be right back, promise."

She forced a weak smile as Nick gave Bonnie a gentle pat on the shoulder, before running off down the hall.

"Are you alright dear?" A look of concern crossed Bonnie's face.

Jess felt her cheeks still flushed as she ran her hand quickly across her forehead, embarrassed. "Oh, um, just a little warm in here I guess."

Bonnie stepped forward and curled her fingers toward her palm, resting them on Jess' cheek. "Are you sure?" Jess just smiled as Bonnie put her arm around her and started walking them toward the reception. "Come on. Let's get you some water."

"Thanks Bonnie, but really, I'll be fine. You should go help with Deanna."

They stopped walking for a moment and Bonnie waved her hand with a laugh. "Oh, I think I've already driven Deanna crazy enough today."

Jess nodded slowly, not wanting to do anything that would make Bonnie dislike her. It seemed like they had made such great progress on this trip so far, and she desperately wanted Bonnie to approve of her. They started walking again. "You're really being very sweet to me. I'm so happy that you allowed me to be a part of all this."

"Oh Jessica, you're all Nick can talk about. Of course we want you here, you're part of the family now." She looked at Jess and gave her a wink. "Well, not officially."

Jess took a deep breath and nervously ran her fingers across her waist, feeling the cool, silky fabric against her skin. _"_Bonnie, can I ask you something? It's a little personal," she paused, "it's about you and Walt?"

She smiled softly, "Sure thing, what would you like to know?"

"How long were you together before you got married?"

Bonnie's smile widened, letting out a small laugh. "Almost 3 years."

"Hmmm" Jess pursed her lips and frowned. "And you guys really made it work, didn't you?"

"We did. Well, I mean, you know how Walt could be, but...we did our best for the boys." Bonnie nudged her arm with her elbow. "How about your parents?"

"Well," Jess bit her lip, "they eloped right after my mom graduated college. They hadn't known each other long. I think maybe they always thought it was a mistake, but she got pregnant with my sister right away, so...I don't know if they were ever really happy."

"I'm so sorry." She shook her head, a little confused. "Nick never mentioned that you had a sister."

Jess shook her head. "He didn't know until a month ago. She's eight years older, we never got along very well."

At that moment, Bonnie glanced over at Jamie and Nick shoving each other near the entrance to the lobby and she let out a deep laugh. "Sounds like those two over there." She nodded toward them as Jess turned and smiled. "My boys always kept it interesting."

They took a few more steps, stopping in the doorway of the reception room as a woman waved to Bonnie as she made her way through the maze of tables. "I don't mean to interrupt, but..." She glanced at the woman and then back at Jess, "would you mind if I introduced you to one more person? She's a good friend of mine and she can't wait to meet you" She gave Jess' arm a squeeze and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "She's known Nicky since he was a baby."

A woman with dark brown hair and light blue eyes walked swiftly to Bonnie's side and gave her a quick hug. Dressed in a belted, red wool sheath dress and a light gray cardigan, she smiled warmly at Jess as she held out her hand.

"Elise." Bonnie glanced between the woman and Jess, smiling. "This is Nicky's girlfriend, Jessica."

Jess smiled and reached out her hand to greet her. "So happy to meet you."

Elise laughed. "Bonnie has been talking about you all day."

Jess smiled, nervously resting her arms across her waist. "That's so sweet. I'm really happy to be here."

"Well, you must be so excited! Nothing like coming to a wedding and knowing your own isn't too far off."

Jess shook her head and glanced quickly between Bonnie and Elise. "I don't..."

Bonnie reached out to playfully swat Elise's arm "Oh Elise really, Nicky and Jess aren't getting married."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," She looked back towards Jess, clearly embarrassed. "I thought you were engaged." Narrowing her eyes at Bonnie, she asked "Didn't you say they lived together?"

Jess jumped in. "Oh well, yes we do, we just..."

"They've only gotten serious in the past few months." Bonnie reached out to squeeze Jess' arm.

"OH, gosh. Listen to me, looking like an idiot."

Jess smiled as Bonnie began to pull her away. "It's fine, really."

They had already taken a few steps when Bonnie called casually over her shoulder. "I'll be back Elise, we'll chat later."

Jess gave a quick nod as Bonnie pulled her towards a back table and motioned for her to sit down. "Jessica, I am SO sorry for all of that. I really didn't mean to put you on the spot. I don't think she paid much attention when I tried to explain everything..."

Jess waved her hand in front of her face. "Oh, it's fine really. I understand. It really IS confusing." She bit her lip and clasped her hands in front of her, trying to hide the fact that she was a little shook up.

Bonnie leaned over and rested a hand on her arm. "Jess dear, is everything okay?"

"I...It's just." She started to say something, but paused. She saw the concern in Bonnie's eyes and took a deep breath. "Bonnie, if I'm being honest, I'm a little overwhelmed. We haven't been together that long and..."

"Oh, don't be. Elise is harmless. But I AM sorry if it was too much, she's just heard so much about you, and Nicky is SO proud to have you here with him."

"I really appreciate you being so nice. I just... Bonnie, Nick is really um, well...sensitive about all this. I just don't want him to..." Jess paused to look at Bonnie, who had a very intense look on her face. Feeling silly and over dramatic, Jess just quickly shook her head and smiled. "You know what, it's fine. We shouldn't be talking about all this anyway, it's Jamie and Deanna's day."

Bonnie smiled and started to stand up. "Well, you just relax here for a minute and I'll go check in with the caterer."

* * *

Left alone for a little while, Jess had taken the few minutes of quiet to catch her breath when she felt hands laying gently on her shoulders as Nick leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Hey beautiful". Placing her hands on top of his, he slid into the chair next to her, and wrapped his arm around her to pull her close.

Jess rested her head on his shoulder and gently poked his side. She tried to push away the nagging anxiety she was feeling, and nudged his side. "Hey...Shouldn't you be keeping track of the groom?"

He shrugged. "Nah. I've got a minute." He paused for a moment, expecting a response, then pulled away to look down at her, noticing a distant look in her eye. "You ok?"

Her response was slow, as she seemed lost in her thoughts. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Everyone is so nice, there's just so many people..."

He frowned and rubbed her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I can stay here if you want. Do you want me to get you a glass of wine?" Jess nodded slowly. Maybe a drink would help her relax a little. "Wait here, I'll be right back." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before disappearing toward the bar. She watched him signal the bartender and shake his head several times as he held up bottles of wine for him. Finally, Nick smiled before glancing over at her and giving her a thumbs up. She smiled back and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist, trying to ignore the sudden chill she felt.

_It was going to be fine. They were going to be fine. They'd enjoy the wedding, have a few laughs about how inquisitive everyone had been about their relationship, and then they'd go back to the loft after the holidays and everything would be fine._

_Of course it would._

Jess was startled out of her thoughts as Nick placed a glass in front of her on the table and sat back down next to her. He smiled proudly, "It's your favorite." She grabbed his hand and sighed in relief as she reached for the glass. She closed her eyes and took a long, slow sip.

_Everything was going to be fine._

Nick noticed her devour almost half the glass in one gulp and leaned closer to her, concerned. "Jess, are you _sure _you're okay?

She pulled the glass away from her lips and glanced at Nick, confused. "Me?"

"You seem really nervous. Did Ma say something to you?"

"Bonnie?" She placed the glass back onto the table and waved her hand dismissively. "She's been amazing. NO, I just...well." She looked at Nick's bewildered expression and thought better than to bring up anything that might cause a fight. Not here. "I'm good." She took a deep breath, before grabbing the glass and tilting her head back to finish it's contents.

Nick frowned, knowing full well that something was wrong. "Jess..." He tried to wrap his arm around her. "I'm not leaving you here alone until you tell me what's wrong."

She pulled away from him stiffly, waving her hand. "Don't be ridiculous. I can hang with the guys, it's not a big deal. You don't have to worry about me." She let out a small laugh. "Your mom just likes introducing everyone. It's just a odd situation to explain..."

Nick grimaced and shook his head, slightly confused as to what she was talking about. He was starting to worry that his crazy family was starting to wear her down a little. She seemed to have become increasingly frustrated and distant as the night wore on. It wasn't long ago that she had been laughing with him and now this. What had happened in that short period of time since they had met in the bathroom? He grabbed her chin with his hand, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She pulled her head away from him, not able to hold his gaze. Her voice was soft. "Nothing Nick." She turned to give him a quick kiss on the lips before standing up. He couldn't help but feel she was trying hide her expression from him. "You should get back over there."

He shook his head and stood up, becoming more and more agitated with her odd behavior. He reached out to grab her hand, but she had already started to walk away. She gestured toward Bonnie, who was waving her over to her table. "I'll be over there if you need me."

Nick pushed the chair into the table a little bit harder than he needed to and briskly walked back over to Jamie.


	15. Raising the stakes

Jess made her way to the bar for another glass of wine and found a quiet spot by the far wall to stand for a moment. Shaking her head sadly, she watched Nick as he talked to Jamie and Bobby, Bonnie joining them a short time later. She felt terrible for pulling away from Nick just now. Things had been going so well between them, and now this. She took a long sip from her glass, pressing her back to the wall. She tried to rationalize that it's wasn't Nick that was putting any of this pressure on her, it was being at this wedding. And was it really pressure, or was she just letting every comment get into her head because she wanted to think about it?

She always did stuff like this. Over think everything.

She shook her head, drawing circles in the condensation on her glass.

Their relationship had already been more than she could have ever imagined. Up until this point, everything had been so effortless. Even their fights had been less about disagreeing and more about simply learning to feel comfortable communicating their feelings to one another. Nick had been trying so hard, the last thing she ever wanted to do was push him away. Even since they had arrived in Chicago, he had opened up about so many things that she would have thought would take ages for him to want to talk about. Maybe she had spent so much time assuming that he hadn't thought of these things yet, that the revelation that he HAD threw her completely off guard.

But what if moving this fast was a mistake? What if it meant that they would screw it up so badly that she would lose everything?

Realizing that she had been standing there long enough to finish the entire glass of wine and for the room to fill with guests ready to start dinner, she shook her head violently to bring herself back to reality.

She caught a glimpse of movement next to her as Schmidt leaned his back against the wall beside her. She took a deep breath and gave him a small smile.

Schmidt took a drink from his own glass. "Rough night?"

She pressed her eyes closed and took a deep breath, willing herself to stay calm. "What do you want Schmidt?" She lazily played with her empty glass, and rolled her shoulder against the wall to face him.

He nodded toward Nick. "What's up with Nick?"

Jess frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Look at him, he look like he's ready to kill someone. What happened?"

She glanced across the room sighed. "It's my fault. I don't know what's wrong with me tonight, but..." She pushed off the wall and took a step forward. "I should probably go talk to him."

Schmidt leaned forward and grabbed her arm. "Jess, wait." She looked back, shaking her head questioningly.

"Cece would have come if I invited her...right?"

Jess nodded, choosing her words carefully. "I think she really cares about you, Schmidt."

Schmidt scoffed and shook his head, glancing between Nick and Jess. "Just get over there, will you?"

Jess paused for a moment, giving Schmidt an understanding smile, before making her way across the room to Nick.

* * *

Placing her glass down gently on the table, Jess cupped her hand over Nick's shoulder.

Clearly flustered, Nick whipped around with a hefty, "What?" Seeing Jess, his eyes softened a little as he sighed. "What is it, Jess?"

She rubbed his shoulder as he turned all the way around to face her. "Can we talk for a minute? Before dinner starts?"

He gave her a weak smile and nodded, his voice much softer than before. "Sure."

Nick followed her into the hallway, nodding to a few guests as they passed by. Once outside the door, Jess took a deep breath and grabbed his hands. "Look, can we just...can we start over? Tomorrow's Christmas and this is supposed to fun. I'm really sorry about what happened before."

He squeezed her hands. "Jess, if you're upset about something..."

Her eyes darted to his and she responded quickly, cutting him off. "No, really, it's nothing. I just want to be here with you and have a good trip. So can we? start over?"

Nick nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I can do that." He watched her expression carefully, still unconvinced that she wasn't upset about something. Her eyes seemed distant. "Jessica, you know I love you, right?"

Her body stiffened a little, uncomfortable with how unnerving his tone was. Damn it, she was really blowing it tonight. "Nick..."

He frowned. "No, I'm serious. I need you to know how much I wanted this trip to help prove that to you."

"You don't have to prove anything to me..."

"You have no idea what it means to me that you came here for this." He watched as she froze, holding her breath in anticipation. What did he mean by that? His voice hitched in his throat. "I've, um, I've never actually done this before. I mean, brought someone..."

She snapped her head back in confusion. "Wait, what? What do mean?"

He sighed. He hadn't planned for any of this to come out, especially here. Especially when it was clear to him that she was already hiding something from him. But he thought that maybe if he could get her to understand what a huge step this was for him, that somehow it would prove to her how much he wanted all of this too. Maybe it would make her feel better knowing he WAS taking their relationship seriously. "I didn't want to make a big deal about it, but well, I need you to know it IS a big deal. I uh,..." His words spilled out in one breath. "I've never brought someone home like this before."

Jess stood there stunned, her hands losing their grip on his. She pulled her hands close to her and nervously started playing with her hair laying over her shoulder, trying desperately to avoid his piercing gaze. She spoke in broken gasps. "Wait, just...not even Caroline? But why? I thought..." She took a deep breath to push away the anxiety that she thought had dissipated. "I thought you guys were serious..."

"We were, but not...it was never like that." He stared into her widening eyes and shook his head, closing his mouth before he said anything stupid. He tried to force a laugh, attempting to play off the entire thing so he wouldn't have to go into any more details. "It's in the past and it doesn't matter. Anyway, let's just have fun, okay?"

There was a moment of silence as she collected her thoughts, scrunching her face and pushing away all the emotion that was starting to make it hard to breathe again. "You... I think you're right. You got it. No more pressure." She reached out for his hands again, not only in an attempt to convince him they were still on the same page, but to quell the wave of doubt that was washing over her. How much longer could she do this? How much longer could she stand here and convince herself that the moment they had stepped off the plane, everything hadn't changed?

Nick tried to ignore the realization that she had somehow avoided eye contact with him throughout this entire conversation. What did she mean by her last statement?

_Pressure? Was she feeling pressure? Is that why she had been acting so strange? __Let it go, Miller. She asked to let it go._

She smiled and took his face in her hands, kissing him softly. As she closed her eyes she tried to push away the butterflies in her stomach. None of this had to MEAN anything. She was always so quick to read into things that weren't there, and this was a time when she simply couldn't do that. So what if he had dated Caroline for years and never brought her here. They were younger back then, things were different. She was just going to enjoy the rest of this trip.

"I'm really glad we're here together." She stepped closer to him as he grabbed her waist and pulled her close, feeling her arms slip around his neck.

He buried his face in her shoulder. "Me too."

Holding a little tighter, she took a deep breath. "I love you, Nick."


End file.
